descry
1 of 2verb
transitive verb
Jonathan Swiftdescry
2 of 2noun
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With descry and the more common decry ("to express strong disapproval of"), we have a case of linguistic double-dipping. That is, English borrowed from the same French root twice. Both words ultimately come from the Old French verb decrier, meaning "to proclaim" or "to decry." English speakers borrowed the term as descry in the 14th century and used it to mean "to proclaim" or "to spy out from a distance" (as a watchman might), and eventually simply "to catch sight of" or "discover." Meanwhile, in French, decrier itself developed into the modern French décrier ("to disparage, to decry"). English speakers borrowed this word as decry in the 17th century. Be careful not to confuse descry and decry. They may be close relatives, but in modern English they have distinct meanings.
Synonyms
Verb
- ascertain
- detect
- determine
- dig out
- dig up
- discover
- dredge (up)
- ferret (out)
- find
- find out
- get
- hit (on or upon)
- hunt (down or up)
- learn
- locate
- nose out
- root (out)
- rout (out)
- rummage
- run down
- scare up
- scout (up)
- track (down)
- turn up
Example Sentences
Word History
Verb
in sense 1 Middle English descrien, descriven, descreven "to catch sight of, discover, discern," apparently developed from descriven (rarely descrien) "to describe, recount, characterize," borrowed from Anglo-French descrire, descriver, descrier "to describe, give an account of," going back to Latin dēscrībere "to represent by drawing, describe"; in sense 2 Middle English descrien "to announce, make known, reveal, betray," perhaps borrowed from Middle French descrier "to cry, make known," from des- de- + crier "to cry entry 1"
Note: The history of both semantic branches of this verb is difficult to characterize, given that the meanings of individual occurrences in Middle English are often not obvious and may overlap. Sense 2 is generally traced to Middle French, though evidence for the word in French texts is exiguous, and instances of this meaning contemporary with Middle English uses are lacking (see Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, on line). A putative descrier "to announce, proclaim" in the Grandes Chroniques de France (late 14th century) should be read descirer (modern déchirer) "to tear up" (referring to letters brought by Philip VI before the Parlement of Paris). There appears to be no connection of the Middle English word and Middle French descrier "to devalue, discredit," not attested before the 15th century (see decry).
Noun
derivative of descry entry 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1604, in the meaning defined above
descried
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- found
- learned
- discovered
- located
- ascertained
- detected
- determined
- got
- found out
- rummaged
- dug up
- dug out
- scared up
- sighted
- spotted
- ran down
- turned up
- espied
- nosed out
- sought
- tracked (down)
- hit (on or upon)
- scouted (up)
- hunted (down or up)
- dredged (up)
- rooted (out)
- routed (out)
- ferreted (out)
- looked for
- searched (for or out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- missed
- overlooked
- passed over
- misplaced
- mislaid
- lost
- mis-set
- misset
Synonyms & Similar Words
- noticed
- spotted
- saw
- eyed
- remarked
- regarded
- noted
- sighted
- beheld
- discerned
- observed
- espied
- viewed
- perceived
- spied
- watched
- distinguished
- identified
- witnessed
- caught
- considered
- glimpsed
- examined
- marked
- looked (at)
- surveyed
- scanned
- studied
- laid eyes on
- got a load of
- set eyes on
- scrutinized
- picked out
- heeded
- inspected
- made out
- minded
- picked up
- attended (to)
- glanced (at)
- peered (at)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ignored
- disregarded
- neglected
- missed
- overlooked
- overpassed
- passed over